Almost 70% of iPhone owners set to buy new device

9/7/2012 10:05:45 AM
Almost 70% of iPhone owners set to buy new device

Almost seven out of 10 iPhone owners are set to buy the latest version of the device as excitement builds ahead of next week's rumoured launch.

A survey by YouGov found 18% of the population was spontaneously aware that Apple is set to launch a new device. When prompted, this increased to 30%. The report revealed that 21% of the UK would consider buying the new device, while 67% of current iPhone owners said they would buy the handset at some point.

While Apple has stayed characteristically cagey about the features, 67% of current iPhone owners said they thought it would have a longer battery life, 63% thought it would have a larger screen, 44% expect a UK-specific version of Siri and 34% predicted it would have NFC and mobile payment capabilities. Across the entire UK, 45% felt the device would have a larger screen, 37% expected a better battery, 24% tipped NFC features and 23% predicted it would have a UK-specific version of Siri.

The report was the first in a series of YouGov surveys charting consumer perceptions and reactions to the new iPhone. Associate director Russell Feldman said: 'It’s clear that a high proportion of the general public are aware and interested that Apple is launching a new product, and that they have fairly high expectations that the iPhone 5 will be a big improvement over the current 4S model. This is especially true for those who are already iPhone owners, who are expecting the iPhone 5 will have a longer battery life, 4G capabilities, NFC and mobile payment capabilities, and a larger screen. It will be very interesting to see what Apple comes out with on Wednesday, because they clearly have a lot to live up to in terms of consumer expectations.'